Is city audit fueled by suspicion or support?

Sunday

The call for a comprehensive state audit of city finances has a strange genesis, a combination of suspicions of and alleged support for the competence of city financial management.

City fire union president Travis Gregory sent a letter asking Mayor Brian Treece to initiate the audit in order to instill more public confidence in city government. City police union spokesman Dale Roberts, a frequent critic of the city administration, quickly concurred saying he believes a lack of public confidence led to voter defeat of a November 2014 proposal to increase property taxes to pay for 40 additional first responders. Chances are Roberts of the police union had a catalyzing role in the recent audit request, knowing his ally at City Hall, Treece, would readily agree.

In his private life as a political lobbyist, Treece represented labor organizations, including police unions.

Who can look inside the heart and mind of Roberts & Co. but my hunch is they are motivated as much by a desire to discredit as to support the city administration. Robertson has consistently bad-mouthed Police Chief Ken Burton and City Manager Mike Matthes, undeservedly in my view, so now we are supposed to believe all Roberts wants is to enhance their reputations?

He and fellow critics often say they can’t trust the city to use public funds for intended purposes, a serious and unfounded charge. If this was a factor in voter defeat of the 2014 property tax it was spurred by Roberts’ persistent allegations. My own analysis, expressed here before, is the election failed because voters don’t like property taxes for ongoing operational expenses and most citizens are more satisfied with city police functions than the police union alleges.

There are arguments against proceeding. The city has undergone a number of audits and no good reason exists to mistrust city financial management. A comprehensive state audit will be expensive. But the politics of the moment demands the city proceed with the audit request.

Its shaky rationale notwithstanding, a full blown state audit will have its positive aspects. State Auditor Nicole Galloway can be trusted to do a competent, fair job. Like any audit of this type it will uncover certain practices that, even if not evidence of fraud or patent mismanagement, can be improved. Maybe the audit will help get past the internal carping that vaguely hampers city affairs.

All this said, we should acknowledge the legitimacy of Roberts’ position. He is the duly employed representative of the duly constituted Columbia Police Officers Association. Their role as critic of city administration is fair enough even if some of their particular allegations are not.

It is up to the city council and the general public to judge the validity of their criticisms. An audit might help.

HJW III

hjwatersiii@gmail.com

Be confident, not certain.

—Eleanor Roosevelt

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